Edinburgh Napier University
IT Strategy
2013
Contents
Aim
3
Our Vision
4
What our customers are saying
6
Introduction
5
The Story so far
7
IT Strategic Themes
9
Our Strategic Priorities
Delivering the Strategic Themes
1: Teaching, Learning and Research
2: Business
3: Student Experience
The Risks to the Strategy
What We need
8
10
10
11
12
13
14
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013
2
Aim
The aim of Edinburgh Napier University’s Information Technology (IT) Strategy is
to establish priorities for the future development of, and investment in, an information technology-based environment which will support the learning, teaching,
research and business needs of the University and all its members.
“Keep going - asking
us the users and
listening to our
feedback
”
3
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013 “You should keep…
”
up-to-date with
technology
“Easy access and
easy to use
”
Our Vision
The IT Strategy will create an environment that provides the means to:
_ use innovative technologies to enhance and improve the delivery of teaching
and the learning experience of our students
_ support research
_ create effective and efficient business systems and processes
_ communicate and collaborate with colleagues at anytime and anywhere in
the world
_ operate in a well-supported and secure environment
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013
4
Introduction
Edinburgh Napier University has been successful
over a number of years in centralising, consolidating
and designing its IT infrastructure, systems and
services to be resilient, efficient and cost effective.
Our IT deployment is seen within the sector as
progressive and effective at implementing cutting
edge technologies, yet avoiding the pitfalls of being
at the ‘bleeding edge’.
The sector has, however, seen significant impact of
changes across the UK including the adoption of
different models for funding and the considerable
pace of technological change driven by the
consumerisation of IT. Add to this the McClelland and
Diamond reports here in Scotland and “Students at
the Heart of the System” south of the border. We have
seen considerable government intervention not only
in funding but also the operating models and the
impact on the governance and administration of our
Universities. The use of technology has also changed
at considerable pace with the emergence of Bring
Your Own Device (BYOD), Social Media, Software as
a consumable item and Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOCS) which are often demand led and
out with the control of IT.
Despite this pace of change there are consistent and
recognisable areas of business function for
Universities:
_ Learning, Teaching and Assessment
_
Research
_
Commercial activity
_
_
5
Administration
Internationalisation
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013 IT systems enable all of these functions to operate under ever-evolving
business processes, transactions and engagement with staff, students
and partners on everything academic, social and business.
IT departments therefore have a critical role in the operation and future aspirations of all areas of the University.
A University IT Strategy is considered essential in order to highlight why
and where investment is required in IT infrastructure and services that will
impact all areas of the University.
Adapted from UCISA, Strategic challenges for IT services, 2013
“Fees online - as currently
need to go to a campus to
show face
”
“Online Exams”
“Moodle very good
”
especially for catch up
and podcasting
What our customers are saying
For some time, Edinburgh Napier University’s IT has
performed well in student and staff surveys,
consistently out-performing many other areas. Our
customers are as diverse as the systems that are
needed to support them. In order to sustain and
further improve IT’s rankings in national and local
surveys, Information Services understands how
important it is to listen to our customers’ views and
act on their requirements and concerns. At the heart
of this Strategy development is a wide ranging
consultation that took place in order to seek the
views of all our stakeholders and this has informed
the key themes of this Strategy. We interviewed over
80 students on all campuses to seek their opinion
directly as well as including feedback contained in
the Student Closeness Survey. Academics, Senior
Academics and Professional Services staff have all
contributed to, and therefore informed, the strategic
themes discussed here in this Strategy.
The overwhelming response from staff and students
was positive about all aspects of IT provision at
Edinburgh Napier. A number of themes emerged
which, not unsurprisingly, reflected the changing
environment both staff and students find themselves
operating and learning in.
Our customers are rightly unconcerned about the
technologies that underpin their requirements.
Therefore this Strategy leads from their perspective
then links to the necessary short form descriptions of
requirements that results in an action plan that
relates directly to the projects, systems and services
required to deliver them.
Key messages were:
“Accessible, interactive,
good response time,
friendly for us who are not
wonderfully IT literate
“A place where
I can do all my
work and find
the things I
need
”
“You should keep…
”
up-to-date with
technology
”
“I work from home,
access to all the IT
services is really
helpful
”
“Easy access
”
and easy to
use
“Keep going - asking us the
users and listening to our
feedback
”
“Technology in group study
rooms is a good idea but
need more of it for
collaborative working
”
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013
6
The Story so far
Edinburgh Napier University operates a highly
resilient, recoverable and efficient core infrastructure
consisting of multi-campus wired and wireless
networking, geo-dispersed storage, virtualised server
hardware and enterprise class information systems.
Fundamental to the design approach is operating
efficiency through shared multi-use, available ondemand processing and network storage defined as
the University’s Enterprise Architecture.
This infrastructure is partially extended into the Cloud
and delivers a wide range of applications and
services to all members of the University. The service
is currently supported by a recently restructured
Technical Services Team within Information Services
with wide ranging professional IT service
development and management skills. The total cost
of operating this service currently runs at
approximately 25% below average sector IT spend
(Gartner metrics 2011/12, 2012/13).
The enterprise class applications, infrastructure and
services are supported by Programme and Project
Management, utilising business process and systems
analysts’ expertise to improve information systems
and services. This service further supports Faculties,
Professional Services and Institutes to access
Information Services’ business innovation,
information and process improvement capabilities.
7
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013 “
There should be
interactive
support for if
you are working
on campus
”
“Better communication of
what they offer
”
“More designated areas
for laptop use
”
Our Strategic Priorities
The current services and infrastructure are well
placed to support the strategic objectives of the
University and its current priorities. However, the IT
Strategy must address the evolving environment in
response to our customers’ needs and the changing
social, political and economic environment. The
themes therefore focus on delivering what all our
customers require by building on our capability and
extending it to:
_
_
_
Support our students in all their learning and
research activity
Support established teaching methods and
pedagogic innovation
Improve information quality
_
Improve information as the life blood of the
organisation
_
_
computers with
small study areas.
Fast computers
”
“yes - better sync between
home and university
technology
”
Support wider more accessible collaborative
working
_
_
“lots of available
Improve IT accessibility
Support the creation of cross-University
operating efficiencies and business process
improvement
Lead and contribute in our area of expertise to
the wider Digital agenda of the University
The strategic priorities are derived from the analysis
of our information gathering and we have created a
strategy for IT that focuses on the needs of Academic
and Professional Services, and the needs of our
students as stated by them in their own words.
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013
8
IT Strategic Themes
1: Teaching, Learning and Research
Supporting staff, students and researchers in
leveraging technology to improve learning and teaching
Aims
1.1: To support collaboration and innovative teaching
methodologies through investment in technologies to
improve teaching and learning spaces.
1.2: To widen the provision and accessibility of digital materials
and hence support academic learning through improved
search, referencing tools and course related content.
1.3: To establish Moodle as the primary source of all learning
materials and learning objects accessible to all students
regardless of time and location.
1.4: To better integrate the range of technologies into a virtual
learning suite that is simple to use, personalised and which
supports the facilitation of learning.
1.5: To improve Information Services’ support of the learning
experience by assisting our Academic colleagues to leverage
existing and emerging technologies and promoting digital
literacy in support of learning.
1.6: To build on and improve existing Faculty support for
international activity through sharing current knowledge,
expertise, best practice and learning gained from prior
International experiences.
1.7: To blend a range of technologies that support improvements
in assessment feedback, research development and
widening participation in partnership with local and
international staff.
9
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013 2: Business
Modernising the University’s business systems and
services, creating efficiencies and supporting improved
and diverse operating models
Aims
2.1: To build on the progress made with the University information
architecture to improve data quality across all primary
business systems.
2.2: To ensure the integrity, compliance and availability of the
University’s key business systems defined as: the Student
Records System, the Finance System, the Estates System,
the HR System, the Virtual Learning Environment, the MIS
services and Online Communication and Collaborative
Technologies. Working in partnership with System Sponsors,
Business Owners and Systems Managers to ensure our
systems’ fitness for purpose. To continually improve agility
and integration to support all aspects of the University’s
business. To continue to work with our auditors and security
specialists to ensure our systems are the single source of
accurate, timely and secure information.
2.3: To establish a process of portfolio management to assess,
review, manage and consolidate the current University
business and academic systems.
2.4: To expand and integrate our current infrastructure, systems
and services into the cloud to increase capacity to respond to
operational demand and take advantage of cost efficiencies
and improved operating models that this brings.
2.5: To support international activity by utilising our knowledge of
IT contract and vendor management, global use of technology and our experience working as a preferred partner both
internally and externally.
2.6: To simplify and communicate the role of IT Governance in
the business of the University providing advice on information security and safe data management.
2.7: To establish an Edinburgh Napier University Enterprise Architecture to create a unified enterprise-wide environment and
experience in which the core hardware and software systems
are standard and integrated across the University and its
business processes, thus enhancing competitive advantage
and innovation.
3: Student Experience
Positively impacting the student experience through
technology and embracing the consumerisation of IT
Aims
3.1: To improve social spaces by providing easy, convenient
access to IT and through welcoming users’ own devices.
3.2: To enhance the current student portfolio, underpinned by the
Student Portal and Virtual Learning Environment, to ensure
personalised ease of use and accessibility anywhere,
anytime.
3.3: To support our students with a range of interactive
personalised, on demand friendly support 24 hours a day 7
days a week.
3.4: To take every opportunity to make available student services
and resources online and improve upon the current
experience of home, campus and internationally based
working and research.
3.5: To simplify and organise all IT support materials making them
timely, relevant and accessible to support student
engagement and get benefit from all available technologies,
software and services offered by the University.
3.6: To integrate the use of social media into supporting our
students, collaborating with them on the development of IT
and digital resources to ensure they understand the benefit
and value of our services to them.
3.7: To diversify the devices available in all learning environments
to ensure necessary access to the right device, with the right
software and services at the right time for students in a range
of disciplines.
Delivering the Strategic Themes
1: Teaching, Learning and Research
We will support staff, students and researchers in leveraging technology to improve teaching, learning and assessment by:
1.1: To support collaboration and innovative teaching
methodologies through investment in technologies to
improve teaching & learning spaces.
1.2: To widen the provision and accessibility of digital materials
and hence support academic learning through improved
search, referencing tools and course related content.
1.3: To establish Moodle as the primary source of all learning
materials and learning objects accessible to all students
regardless of time and location.
1.4: To better integrate the range of learning software by creating
a virtual learning suite that is simple to access, navigate and
personalise.
1.5: To improve Information Services’ support of the learning
experience by assisting our academic colleagues to leverage
existing and emerging technologies and promoting digital
literacy in support of learning.
1.6: To build on and improve existing faculty support for
international activity through sharing current knowledge,
expertise, best practice and learning gained from prior
International experiences.
1.7: To blend a range of technologies that support improvements
in assessment feedback, student engagement and widening
participation in partnership with local and international staff.
Investing in device availability and management:
that enables the learning experience to be conducted in a joined
up and integrated way that is easy to use and supports the
collaborative nature today’s students expect. For example by
linking networked smart boards, interactive tables, interactive
information points, integrated conference cameras, lecture
capture, multi device connectivity and audio access points.
Providing access to learning and productivity software
and tools on any device:
through the development and implementation of a full service
Virtual desktop delivering the latest University desktop and
networked applications on and off campus, to any device. And
developing Mobile applications suitable for use on a range of
devices that bring key services to the users smart phones and
tablets.
Extending extensively the functionality of a fully
integrated SharePoint and Moodle service:
bringing together a single source of all learning materials,
communications, storage and learning related activity such as
‘Live chat’, podcasts, voting, academic progress tools,
eResource search functions and the recording of student
engagement.
Establishing and implementing an Information Services
team:
specifically to strengthen relationships with academic colleagues.
This will create an environment where we can transfer
knowledge, gather new innovative requirements, share expertise
and development objectives all working collaboratively to
enhance the student learning experience.
To be academically excellent
To develop confident employable graduates
To be an international university
To be a preferred partner
“Yes, utilises
resources - Moodle
mainly. Online
Lectures would be
useful
”
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013
10
2: Business
Modernising the University’s business systems and services, creating efficiencies and supporting improved and diverse operating models by:
2.1: To build on the progress made with the University information
architecture to improve data quality across all primary
business systems.
2.2: To ensure the integrity, compliance and availability of the
University’s key business systems defined as: the Student
Records System, the Finance System, the Estates System,
the HR System, the Virtual Learning Environment, the MIS
services and Online Communication and Collaborative
Technologies. Working in partnership with System Sponsors,
Business Owners and Systems Managers to ensure our
systems’ fitness for purpose. To continually improve agility
and integration to support all aspects of the University’s
business. To continue to work with our auditors and security
specialists to ensure our systems are the single source of
accurate, timely and secure information.
2.3: To establish a process of portfolio management to assess,
review, manage and consolidate the current University
business and academic systems.
2.4: To expand and integrate our current infrastructure, systems
and services into the cloud to increase capacity to respond to
operational demand and take advantage of cost efficiencies
and improved operating models that this brings.
2.5: To support international activity by utilising our knowledge of
IT contract and vendor management, global use of technology and our experience working as a preferred partner both
internally and externally.
2.6: To simplify and communicate the role of IT Governance in
the business of the University providing advice on information security and safe data management.
2.7: To establish an Edinburgh Napier University Enterprise Architecture to create a unified enterprise-wide environment and
experience in which the core hardware and software systems
are standard and integrated across the University and its
business processes, thus enhancing competitive advantage
and innovation.
11
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013 Restructuring our physical infrastructure:
to build integration with cloud based services ensuring the
efficient sharing and expansion of our storage, applications and
services in partnership with cloud vendors and services. To
become a hybrid integrated secure and cloud service provider
that balances business need with agility.
Supporting a future Enterprise Architecture approach:
through the adoption of Master Data Management to reduce
duplication, standardise data and removing errors in data to
improve quality and information as a service. Standardising the
interfaces to systems and adopting further Service Orientated
Architecture (SOA) approaches to improve business processes
by providing access to multiple business systems through a
single interface. Review current policies and contracts to support
integration with cloud services and their on-going management
and maintenance.
Moving Services to the Cloud:
where appropriate, moving existing large scale standard services
to reduced cost cloud services such as Staff Email and Alumni &
Development CRM.
Reviewing and rationalising the Application Portfolio:
in collaboration with University’s System Managers to create
efficiencies and to conduct the necessary analysis to determine
the metrics associated with applications and their cost of
implementation, maintenance and support. To look for
opportunities in cost effective sharing or partnering to share
resource with or on behalf of other institutions.
Continually investing in our Business Systems:
to expand their support to the University, providing the agility to
adopt new practices that simplifies and improves existing and
emerging processes.
To achieve the highest organisational standards
To create, exploit and transfer knowledge
To be a preferred partner
“Online forms which
then could be
printed for signature
instead of waiting
for forms to be
created and
signed
”
“better iphone access to
”
Wi-Fi, more storage
space
3: Student Experience
Positively impacting the student experience through technology and embracing the consumerisation of IT by:
3.1: To improve social spaces by providing easy, convenient
access to IT and through welcoming users’ own devices.
3.2: To enhance the current student portfolio, underpinned by the
Student Portal and Virtual Learning Environment, to ensure
personalised ease of use and accessibility anywhere,
anytime.
3.3: To support our students with a range of interactive
personalised, on demand friendly support 24 hours a day 7
days a week.
3.4: To take every opportunity to make available student services
and resources online and improve upon the current
experience of home, campus and internationally based
working and research.
3.5: To simplify and organise all IT support materials making them
timely, relevant and accessible to support student
engagement and get benefit from all available technologies,
software and services offered by the University.
3.6: To integrate the use of social media into supporting our
students, collaborating with them on the development of IT
and digital resources to ensure they understand the benefit
and value of our services to them.
3.7: To diversify the devices available in all learning environments
to ensure necessary access to the right device, with the right
software and services at the right time for students in a range
of disciplines.
“Time with someone to
show how to do stuff
proactive
”
Making IT more open and accessible to all:
by investing in the pervasiveness of WiFi at and near campuses
with simplified access and support. Working with Sector partners
to provide WiFi coverage across Edinburgh. Implementing
Mobile Device Management to improve the service to staff and
student mobile and smart devices. Enhancing mobile
compatibility for SharePoint, Moodle and support services in line
with Email and existing App based provision.
Enhancing the staff/student social spaces
to accommodate collaborative working by making available selfservice Laptop/Mac and Tablet devices, Digital signage, Digital
information points, Charging stations and touch screen multi user
devices.
Social integration:
Developing and implementing peer based collaboration tools that
are integrated with social media and managed by students
themselves. Developing a social networking technology support
service for IT targeting key areas of support critical to key dates
in our academic calendar and easily accessible by our students
and staff.
Improving access to knowledge:
Developing and implementing an interactive knowledge base
with information, video and audio podcasts to support the use of
technologies on and off campus.
Making it easier to work and collaborate:
through the development and implementation of a ‘profile
anywhere’ approach to Identity Management that supports
working across devices, campuses and internationally where
devices become a gateway to individuals and/or groups’
information and services. Further integrating this profile with
mobile services that reliably connect to multi-functional devices
(MFD) for printing scanning and copying and other end user
support services.
To develop confident employable graduates
To be an international university
“Tablets and pcs for free
use in social space
and surface tablets
plus interactive tables
and large collaboration
space
”
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013
12
The Risks to the Strategy
Medium
Mitigation: Ensure that policies and controls are in place to govern the use of University’s
and students’ devices
Mitigation: Establish control and policies as to access and visibility of the data/services
held in the Cloud.
Mitigation: Clear and effective communication of the IT Strategy along with its
requirements and benefits to the University
Low
Impact
High
Mitigation: Establish a cross University Information Security Board to ensure that best
and most up-to-date practice is communicated and embedded into the University’s
business
Low
Medium
Likelihood
High
Mitigation: Periodic review of IT Strategy will allow internal and external factors to be
assessed along with their impact
Mitigation: Work with relevant University Staff to identify business procedures and
policies which either require updating or creation. Review and upgrade IT Governance.
Mitigation: Identify the necessary skills to undertake project tasks and ensure that
relevant training is given to the right personnel
Mitigation: Communicate effectively the benefits of all Technical Services work University
wide
13
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013 What We need
ISDC
An approved 3 year capital investment plan
Agreement and commitment to the IT Strategy
Deans
Early involvement in new business plans
Early involvement in proposed International activities
Finance
Assistance with benefit realisation activities,
Assistance with cost metrics and efficiency measures
Holding sponsors accountable for non-IT activities, and promised benefits
Business Units
Active participation in shared-service planning
Active involvement in ITT, funding bids and business development planning
Commitment to the System Managers’ Group and it’s objectives
Commitment to working with data quality, information architecture and business
process improvement techniques
Procurement
Cloud procurement models available
Capital investment versus long term agreement rentals and contracts
Students
Continually providing feedback on IT
Providing input to developments and contributing to projects and service
development
“collaborative
”
rooms with
technology
“Charging points, bus
tracker and more
social space
information
”
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013
14
15
Edinburgh Napier University IT Strategy 2013 Edinburgh Napier University is a registered Scottish charity. Reg. No. SC018373